With all the talk recently about game design and some of us who are either dreaming about or actually developing I'm sure what would be interesting would be what has been your best selling game?

Obviously old ones may have sold more so taking everything into account what has been the best selling and most popular title so far. We don't need to know the figures just the name.

Another question you may not want to answer is what games have been well received and considered top titles in your stable but sale figures alone would be unlikely to keep some one in full time employment? I doubt this one can be answered, however it would show which genres or type of games know matter how great they are wouldn't be a good choice to develop if thats all you where going to make, This question stems form a comment from Arjuna who obviously makes a series very highly praised indeed but has by the sound of it suffered financial hardship.

All in all the first question I feel will be of help to us, and any other advice would be appreciated.

I had a feeling DW would probably outsell most other games here, purely down to is being a 4x space game which is a more mainstream genre. War in the East is a surprise. With the talk of monster games being a risky venture and all that. Harpoon is a surprise aswell. What with WITE being in the list I'd have imagined WitP to have overtaken Harpoon. Close Combat is a surprise aswell more due to the fact they are remakes than anything else. I do think the next CC game and then the new one will be pretty big hits though.

What about a top 5 in no particular order of best sellers all around that aren't just popular at the moment. Or will it be more or less the same as above?

Erik, Why is it so double secret to release the number of units sold? I think most of us would like to know which games are most succesful for Matrix games. I realize that Matrix is a private owned company and not public owned and it would be different if I was asking what your yearly salary is. In a way I think of myself as a share holder in Matrix as I have spent Hundreds to invest in your company. If it's Matrix's policy not to do so just say so. A top ten or top twenty list would be nice.

+1 what he says....it is very useful info for would be developers. Not sure what the issue is in why the info isn't released. I can't see people not buying a game because it hasn't sold many copies, you buy what you like and soemtimes what you like isn't popular. It's also not to the detriment of the developers either as I'm sure we all realise that the hardcore wargames are going to be lucky in some cases to hit a 1000 sales. We also I'm sure know that any game thats sold in excess of 2000 units has done really well. Were not expecting huge sales figures.

It's just some here have considered dropping everything to become a wargame developer and I think seeing sales figures would be things into perspective, even if you don't mention the games but give us what you consider a reasonable amount of units sold.

It is our policy to consider such information confidential, sorry. I'm happy to help with advice to anyone who is thinking of making games, but I can't release specific sales data.

Regards,

- Erik

You have my full support. I was actually surprised there was even a response at all.

Try walking into any for profit retailer, and request their numbers. They will laugh in your face. Those numbers are property of the company. Not even the shareholders of a corporation would see those numbers, not to mention a customer. Having spent 25+ years in retail, every company I worked for would go to great lengths to discover/uncover intel on the competition, and sales data is closely guarded. It is the life blood of any company.

It could be useful to have not specific data but a "most popular" (based on sales) game list, maybe divided into "New releases" and "all time" or divided into categories (grognards, intermediate, novice). It could be a useful buying guide for newcomers. If I remember correctly, there's something similar in STEAM.

Doom, I was applying that I felt like a stock holder because I have truly spent hundres at matrix games. Erik's statement that matrix games does not share or even list it's top selling games defies almost all logic. If logic determins reason why wouldn't matrix say what it's most successful games are.

It could be useful to have not specific data but a "most popular" (based on sales) game list, maybe divided into "New releases" and "all time" or divided into categories (grognards, intermediate, novice). It could be a useful buying guide for newcomers. If I remember correctly, there's something similar in STEAM.

Bye.

It's not as a pointer for what to buy but more what sort of game does well if your thinking of becoming a developer. I>E you may want to make a certain wargame and stake lots of funds and time on it and then it turns out your estimation of sales was way to high. I want to make a game not for money but I want this certain game made. However if I was looking at it from a money or job perspective I probably would make something totally different.

As someone said figures didn't need to be discussed but a top 3 of recent and an all time top 3 would be a good pointer on what type of wargames may make you a living.

Also if you are a stockholder, most often you have got the rights to take a look into the books.

yeah I was thinking or privatised companies. Also big companies have to release their profit details etc I think probably something to do with fair trade and not taking up the whole market place. Also when it's a service then value for money is important especially when it comes to Gas and Electric companies. Who in the UK are robbing gits (I would use a far stronger term). Global warming I'm starting to believe is a scam to make more tax and pile on profits in certain industries. Not saying it isn't happening, however climate change has happened throughout the worlds lifespan. Though this is now going right off topic.

All companies have to publish their accounts - & only very small ones get away with a four line account, most have to publish fuller profit and loss and balance sheets. Shareholder meetings and finance reports/portfolios etc are the next level, but it should be possible if you were really interested, to see what Matrix take, and what the approximate breakdown in expenditure is... I doubt that they are small enough to not require this level of reporting.

It is our policy to consider such information confidential, sorry. I'm happy to help with advice to anyone who is thinking of making games, but I can't release specific sales data.

Regards,

- Erik

You have my full support. I was actually surprised there was even a response at all.

Try walking into any for profit retailer, and request their numbers. They will laugh in your face. Those numbers are property of the company. Not even the shareholders of a corporation would see those numbers, not to mention a customer. Having spent 25+ years in retail, every company I worked for would go to great lengths to discover/uncover intel on the competition, and sales data is closely guarded. It is the life blood of any company.

Having worked as many years in the grocery industry the statement above is false. Every month a magazine called the grocer reports the sales of each grocery chain in America. I think the original poster was asking how many of units where sold not how much they made.

Yes, profit and turnover (and the balance sheet and general expenditure classes) are generally in the public domain (though you might have to pay to access them). A break-down of income sources, units sold, and of what @ what unit price is generally considered sensitive and no-one's business but the company itself, any statutory/voluntary auditor, and possibly IRS/HMRC etc if it seems there is a major discrepancy between reported takings and the size of the operation (see current investigations into Amazon due to allegations of tax evasion on both sides of the Atlantic).

Steam might publish some results (I get that impression) but it is in their interests to generate 'volume' which they do by advertising 'volume' and being the 'biggest'.

It's not for me, it was for those who I see post on here who are thinking about starting a career in it. I certainly wouldn't make wargames as a way to live. I'd do it as a hobby and possibly making some spare cash.

I thin it was Perturabo who asked about it as a job. I personally wouldn't tell anyone to do it full time. I thought maybe if the info about sales was put out it would make people really think hard before risking anything especially if they have a family.